Source: China IP News

"Worldwide filings for patents, trademarks and industrial designs reached record heights in 2016, and China received the most applications for these three kinds around the world." Recently, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) issues the World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI)-2017, Chinese innovation captivates the world once again. "In the past decade, the rapid growth of Chinese intellectual property has been shining in global intellectual property field," addresses WIPO Director General Francis Gurry, "China is increasingly amongst the leaders in global innovation and branding."

As shown by WIPI, China's State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) received the highest number of patent applications, a record total of 1.3 million, more patent applications than the combined total for the United States of America, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the European Patent Office (EPO). Gurry believed huge population, huge market and improving IPR protection system in China are providing important bases with consistent innovation for all walks.

As for filing abroad, China ranks the 5th, following the United States of America, Japan, Germany and the Republic of Korea. "Filing abroad reflects the internationalization of intellectual property protection and the desire to commercialize technology in foreign markets," noted Gurry. "Patents for which applicants seek international protection are likely to have a higher value."

 "Patent applications from China topping the world, is inseparable from more regulated business environment and stimulation policies of governments", said Professor Xu Chunming, Director of Intellectual Property Institute of Shanghai University to CIP News. In recent years, with constant advancement of the market economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics and strengthening for ruling level by law for Chinese market, players from home and abroad have gained more confidence for Chinese market. As for intellectual property creation, government at all levels have issued stimulation policies, guided market participants to file intellectual property applications and arisen the activity for innovation of players, especially since China established and implemented National Intellectual Property Strategy and accelerated the Building of Intellectual Property Powerhouse.

 "Leading in numbers is not the ultimate goal of Chinese innovation, at the same time, improving innovation quality is pivotal. Building up more valuable patents and translating them to more profitable commercialization is the proper way to use the patent system," said Li Shunde, Researcher of Institute of Law under Chinese Academy of Social Sciences to CIP News. Pursuing quality is the permanent theme for development. We should accomplish breakthrough in development quality by mapping in quantity while winning in quality. "In recent years, through Patent Quality Improvement Project, focusing on policy guidance, examination and granting, patent commission, strict protection and strengthening application, SIPO is striving for pushing innovators to create more high-quality patents which are dense in both technology and marketing value. This is significant for supporting the Innovation Drives Development Project," stresses Li.

"Intellectual property powerhouse is embodied by number accumulation and scale expansion, emphasizing the supportive role by innovation to economy powerhouse, demonstrating that intellectual property becomes the core element of state innovation and a key driving force for economic development," added Xu, China is a true intellectual property power, which builds a base of numbers and mechanisms for intellectual property powerhouse. In this connection, we should shift the priorities from intellectual property numbers to quality improvement and structure optimization, making China a leader in innovation around the world.